


Strength

by missy520



Category: Castle
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Older Man/Younger Woman, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-06-05 08:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6696571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missy520/pseuds/missy520
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt from RoS13:<br/>I'd love to see one where Espo has to rescue Alexis (maybe it was something traumatic, or maybe in the course of defending herself and escaping with Espo she has to kill someone) and even though he totally fights the attraction (for all the usual and obvious reasons) she keeps coming back to him because she feels like he's the only one who would understand what she feels like since he was there with her and he served in the Special Forces before being a cop and he's seen a lot of death etc. (She obviously can't talk to Castle because, duh, he's her father and that's just AWK-WARD). So eventually Espo realises that Alexis and her youthfulness and sense of purpose and vision for what's right helps him feel less like his usual cynical self and Alexis finds the right level of understanding and support in Espo, so queue some h/c and loving and a growing relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've changed the prompt a bit; Alexis will be traumatized, but she isn't going to kill anyone, but yes, this is going to be a romance between Espo and Alexis. I know some have a problem with this sort of relationship, but I love to write unusual pairings (when I'm not writing sappy Caskett stories) and this fit the bill for me. But if you find this sort of story icky, they will fall in love so if that is going to bother you, stop reading now. 
> 
> But I hope some of you give it a try. I've decided to post this first chapter as soon as it was done. I've outlined it, but I really have no idea how long it will be.

“You think it’s a weakness? Make it a strength.” – Javier Esposito to Kate Beckett. 

 

For Captain Javier Esposito, the day had started as a normal day. He was up at 5 AM, had a run around his neighborhood, a shower and a quick cup of coffee and out his door by 7 AM and at his desk in the precinct by 7:15. He nodded at the detectives and uniforms already in the bullpen as he walked into his office and turned on his computer. He was knee deep in paperwork when the e-mail alert came in and he grinned as he saw it was from Beckett. She was always sending pictures of Lily and Espo knew that’s what this e-mail would be. He grinned when he opened it and saw the picture of Lily in her Mets onesie. And then he grinned again when Kev sent an email with Sarah and Nick in their Mets regalia. 

Seeing the e-mails from his old partners made him think of the old days, but as he always thought, things change. Of course, the biggest change was the three of them were no longer a team, but in a bit of a shock, Kevin had left the NYPD and went to work for Castle in the PI firm. Castle knew he was going to want to be a stay at home dad again, so he had asked Kevin to step in and help Alexis run the firm. He had jumped at the chance – the money was great, and he could be home for dinner most nights. And they were doing a great job of running the firm. Yeah, they had plenty of boring stuff to do, but every once in a while, they did get involved in a big thing. 

And now he found himself thinking of Alexis. He shook his head, remembering the pretty fifteen year old who had really helped them when they had that case with the rock singer. Now she was a grown-up beautiful woman, but he didn’t let himself think of her as anything else other than his friend’s daughter. He’d seen how much Castle loved Alexis, and he had a feeling that if Rick knew he ever thought of her at all, he’d try to hurt him. But he couldn’t help it. Alexis was an amazing woman. She was smart, funny, and beautiful and damn it, sexy as hell. Every once in a while, he’d join Kev and Alexis for a drink and when she came in wearing one of those skirts and high heels, he almost drooled. He’d managed to keep these feelings a secret from everyone, but it had been hard to do.

He also felt responsible for her, especially since Castle had made her install a panic button app on her phone. He had asked Espo if they could link it up to him, and he had said sure. So, if she ever found herself in a bad situation, he and Kevin would get an alert. He knew Alexis hated that Rick could be so overprotective, but she also understood where those feelings came from. 

After sending off responses to his friends’ emails, he went back to work. After he completed that morning’s paperwork, he stepped into the bullpen and checked on the progress his detectives had made in their cases, throwing out some ideas to help them move forward. He’d also sat down at the conference room table with two or three of them to go over some financials, ate a quick lunch at his desk, and went back to paperwork. This day was like many other days he’d had since becoming captain. 

And then it changed. He heard a ping from his phone, and when he looked at it, he was amazed to see it was from the panic button – Alexis’s panic button! Crap, what the hell was happening? Five seconds later, his desk phone rang, and he saw it was Kev. 

“Kevin, what’s happening? I just got an alert from Alexis!”

“Yeah, bro, so did I. And I’m on my way to finding out what happened. She’s at a gym downtown. She teaches self-defense to abused women. You know, from that shelter she volunteers at? Meet me there, okay?” 

Javier agreed to meet him, and as he was hanging up the phone, he heard a commotion in the bullpen. Someone turned the television’s volume up and he realized there was a hostage situation – and it was at the gym. Oh crap. That must be why she pinged the alert. And oh crap, she was just like her father – right in the middle of things. He yelled to the guys he was heading out to the gym and was in his car and on his way as quickly as possible.

The traffic gods were with him and he was at the scene quickly. He saw Kevin at the perimeter, talking to one of the uniforms. Obviously, the uni didn’t trust Kev, but Javi walked over and told him to let Kev in. They walked over to the command center, where Captain Roman was in charge. Javi introduced himself and Kevin, and asked what he knew. 

“Well, our suspect took a class of women hostage. The teacher, Alexis Castle, got him to let most of the women go, but he won’t let his ex-wife leave. Ms. Castle refused to leave unless he let the wife leave, so that’s where we are. Can I ask why you’re here, Captain?” Roman asked.

“I’m sure you realize that Ms. Castle’s dad is the same Rick Castle who helped out in a hostage situation a few years ago?” At Roman’s nod, Javi continued, “Kevin and I were partners with Kate Beckett, and with Castle. So when we heard about this, we had to come to see if we could help in same way.” 

Roman nodded and he started to discuss logistics with the men. Roman’s phone rang, and he glanced at it. “It’s Alexis!” He quickly answered it, putting it on speaker. Esposito was so proud of her when he heard her voice – she sounded like her usual self. 

“Okay, I got Jack to agree to let Helen go. We’re going to walk her to the door, okay?” 

“Alexis,” Roman said, “I have someone here.” He nodded at Espo to start to talk to her. They knew that Jack had let Alexis talk to Roman without demanding she put the phone on speaker. 

“Alexis, are you really okay?” he asked. He had to know.

“Yes I am. But I can’t wait to get out of here and have a cheeseburger for lunch,” she answered. They all knew the code word too. 

“All right, tell you what. I’m going to come in there and get you out. Then I will take you to Remy’s for the biggest cheeseburger you’ve ever had, okay?” He was thrilled when Alexis laughed. Damn, Alexis Castle was one strong woman. 

Roman started to tell Alexis what they would do, and she answered with simple “yes” or “no”. Esposito made sure his vest was on and Kevin helped him adjust the straps. As members of the SWAT team walked over to the door to escort Helen to safety, Javi went around back to sneak in. They all hoped that Jack was too preoccupied with making sure he wasn’t double-crossed to realize that a cop had sneaked in. 

As he got closer, he could hear voices, but he wasn’t sure what they were saying. Then he could clearly hear Alexis, and she was trying to talk Jack down. Damn, she was a cool customer. 

“But Jack, you haven’t hurt anyone. You let everyone go when you were asked to, and now you’ve let Helen go too. If you surrender now, I can talk to the judge and tell them what you did.” She wasn’t giving anything away. 

“I violated the protection order. I took hostages, I’m going away. And I don’t want to go back!” Jack wasn’t as calm as Alexis and as Javi got even closer, he saw why. He was holding his gun against his temple. 

Oh damn, Espo thought. Do not let him do it in front of Alexis. And he knew he had to go slowly; if he shocked him, the guy might shoot Alexis. He continued to circle behind him, and he knew when Alexis saw him. Her eyes widened just a bit but Jack was looking down. Javi thought this was the moment, but before he could move, Jack picked up his head, put the gun back to his temple and pulled the trigger. 

Alexis screamed as the shot went off and Jack fell. Javi went over to him and knew he was dead, so he quickly went to Alexis and put his arms around her. She collapsed in his arms and sobbed brokenly. He let her cry for a few minutes and then he told he had to tell the police what had happened. Alexis cried softly, still in the circle of his arms as he communicated with Roman. He asked them to wait a few minutes to come inside and he took Alexis into another room to talk to her.

He let her cry until her sobs quieted to sniffles, all the while rubbing her back and speaking softly to her. And when the sniffles stopped all together, he looked at her and said, “I’m going to tell them to come in now, okay?” And when she nodded, he continued, “And they’re going to want to talk to you, are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, I think so. Can someone be there with me?” 

“I think so. By now, Kevin would have called your dad or Kate. I’m sure one of them could go with you.”

“Could you come with me?” He never would have thought of Alexis as being shy, but at that moment, she had her head down and she couldn’t seem to look him in the eye. He put his finger under her chin, and slowly lifted her face until he could look her in the eye. When he saw that he had her complete attention, he nodded his head yes, and started to talk to her.

“Alexis, things are going to get crazy as soon as we walk out there, so I want to say this now. I am so proud of you. I know everything you did today, how you looked out for the women that were here before you thought of yourself. That was amazing. You were amazing.” He kissed her cheek and then put his arms around her shoulders. “Ready?” he asked her, and when she nodded, he walked her outside. 

Standing aside as she was reunited with her dad and stepmother, and then with Ryan, Javi knew he was in trouble. Alexis was everything he wasn’t: young, idealistic, hopeful – and he had strong feelings for her. He couldn’t – no he wouldn’t – drag her down. From now on, he’d just be her dad’s friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javi tries to keep his distance, but when Rick asks him to talk to Alexis, he has no choice.

Javi stood in the conference room while Castle and Beckett sat with Alexis. Again, he was so impressed with her. She’d answered every question thoughtfully and didn’t get rattled. Rick had been pissed when he realized that they were making sure she wasn’t involved, but even before Kate could say anything, Alexis stopped him with a quiet, “Dad, they’re doing their jobs.” Rick had sat back, but his face showed how unhappy he was with this line of questioning. Of course, they had cleared Alexis and as Javi turned to leave the room, Rick stopped him.

“Thanks, Javi. Thanks for being there for Alexis,” but then he got choked up and couldn’t continue. He just reached out to hug his friend, and Javi hugged him back. And no, there weren’t tears in his eyes. It was the dust that made his eyes sting. Then Kate had hugged him too, and then Alexis was in his arms again. He tried not to think of her as anyone other than a victim of a crime, but it was hard. He managed to look her in the eye as she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Javier,” was all she said. He nodded and stepped aside as she went to her father’s side and they walked out of the room. He waited a minute or two, and he left so he could get back to work. 

A few weeks after the hostage situation, Javi figured things had settled down for Alexis. He didn’t know for sure since he had been keeping his distance. He’d heard from Kevin that she’d moved back in with Castle and Kate. Kevin had told her to stay away from the office, but she had insisted on coming to work. He made her stay in the office and do paperwork or busy work. Kev didn’t know how much longer she’d let him get away with that, but he was keeping her close by and out of danger as long as he could. He had run into Kate at a crime scene, and she told him that Alexis was doing as well as could be expected, but she was worried that her stepdaughter was burying some of her feelings so her father wouldn’t worry about her. A knock at the door frame of his office made him lift his head and he was surprised to see Rick standing there.

“Castle! I wasn’t expecting you. Where’s the littlest Castle?” he said as he got up from his chair and went over to shake hands with his friend. Javi noticed he looked a bit tired, but he guessed that was to be expected – after all, there was a six month old living with him now. And he was sure Rick was worried about Alexis. He motioned for Rick to take a seat, and he sat down behind his desk. 

“She’s with her grandpa Jim, probably getting ready to watch some Mets game. My daughter is being brainwashed to the dark side, Javi.” The two Yankee fans shook their heads. “But I came to ask you a favor. Remember when we had the sniper case, and I asked you to help Kate?” Javi nodded. He would never forget that. “Well, I think I need your help again, but this time for Alexis. She keeps saying she’s fine, but Zito, I don’t think she is. She and Kate have talked, but I think she needs to talk to you. You were there, you know what she saw. You really helped Kate; she has never told me what you did, but I could see the difference. So do you think you could do it again? I’m asking you as a father this time!”

Javi could see the anguish on Rick’s face, and knew he had to put aside his feelings and talk to Alexis. He got up and went to stand near Rick. “Sure, Castle, I’ll talk to her. Maybe get her to realize she may need to talk to a professional about everything. I’ll call her and won’t take no for an answer, all right?” Rick nodded and stood up. 

“Thanks, Zito. I appreciate this. Now I’m going to take my wife to lunch and then go see if I can bring Lily back to the right side.” He smiled as he left, and Javi knew he couldn’t let him down. So he closed his door and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contact list, and smiled when he saw the picture of Alexis. He had taken it right after Kevin left the NYPD and joined Castle Investigations. He had joined Kev and Alexis in celebrating, and he had insisted that he should have Alexis’ phone number. She had grinned at him when he took the picture, and looking at it now took his breath away. She really was beautiful. He mentally shook himself and called her. 

“Javier?” he could hear the question in her voice as she answered. 

“Hey Alexis! I realized I owe you a cheeseburger from Remy’s. Are you available today?” 

“Yes, I am. When?”

“How about now? I just finished my morning paperwork so I have free time. Meet you outside Remy’s?” Alexis agreed and they ended the call. Javi couldn’t tell if he was nervous or excited to see Alexis, but he decided to not think about it. 

By the time he got there, he saw her waiting outside. She didn’t see him, so he had a chance to study her from a distance. If he didn’t know her, he’d think she was just another beautiful woman waiting for her date. But he did know her; he’d known her since she was 15. He knew her before her father got into all sorts of stuff. He knew her before they all were at a funeral and watched Kate get shot by a sniper. He knew her before she herself was kidnapped. And he knew her before she tried to get a hostage taker to give himself up but he shot himself instead. And he could see the strain she was trying to hide from everyone. Yes, he needed to talk to her. As he watched he saw her gather herself and relax her face – she must have seen him coming. She smiled and waved at him, and he decided he was going to let her get away with it – for now. When he got close, she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. He almost leaned in and hugged her, but he knew it was best to keep a little bit of distance. 

He held the door open for her, and he got to walk behind her. Damn, she was wearing a pencil skirt. Did she know that they drove him crazy? Watching her perfect butt as she followed the hostess to their table made him wish he was 20 years younger. She slid into one side of the booth while he slid into the other. He waited for her to take a sip of water before he said anything. “How are you, Alexis? And don’t say ‘fine’. I know what you went through and you don’t need to cover anything up for me!”

He saw the flash of anger in her eyes before she answered. “Did my father talk to you?” When Javi didn’t say anything, she said, “Did he? Because I am fine!” She took her menu off the table, opened it up, and used it as a barrier against him. Once again, he let her get away with it, because he knew he’d get her to talk later. 

After they had put in their orders, and she no longer had the menu to hide behind, he asked her some general questions, mostly about her little sister. Alexis adored Lily, and she regaled Javi with story after story about the six month old. Javi loved the sparkle in her eyes and the laughter in her voice as she told him about bath time, and how Rick ended up as wet as Lily. The waitress soon returned with their food, and they stopped talking to take their first bites. Then it happened – a bus boy dropped a bin of dishes, and there was a loud crash. 

Javi watched as the blood drained from Alexis’s face, and she started to hyperventilate. He quickly got up from his side of the booth and slid in next to her. He grabbed her hand and it was ice cold. “Okay, Alexis, take some deep breaths, okay?” He spoke calmly and slowly and he looked her in the eye while rubbing circles into the palm of her hand. He saw the color return to her cheeks and her hand was getting warmer by the minute. He continued to mutter nonsense words and soon she was almost back to normal. So he took the opportunity to talk to her. “Alexis, it’s okay to not be fine. You’ve been through a lot in the last few years. No need to pretend anymore, okay?” She nodded, and he continued, “Alexis, I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone before. When I got back from Iraq, I was suffering. Someone suggested I talk to a professional and I fought them. I was fine, I was strong, I didn’t need any help. And then I realized I did. Luckily, the person who suggested it to me just gave me a name. I went to talk to them and I got better. But I won’t fool you – it might take some time. It will be hard. But Alexis, I know you can do it. You are strong and brave and you can do it.”

Alexis took a deep breath and said, “Javi, do you know someone I can talk to?” He nodded and slipped her a business card for Dr. Burke. She put it in her purse and turned to Javi. “Thank you,” she said as she kissed his cheek. He got up and went to the other side of the booth. He knew he wasn’t hungry anymore, so he motioned for their waitress to come over and had their food boxed to go, and he paid the check. 

He slid out of his seat first, and stood next to the booth. “Alexis, you have my phone number. Call me anytime – and I do mean anytime – and we’ll talk. Please?” He grinned at her, and she looked down at the table, but she did nod her head. After she slid out of the booth, he took her hand and walked her out. They parted at the curb after a quick hug. He watched her walk down the street for a bit, and he hoped she would call Dr. Burke. The man had helped so many cops; he really felt he could help Alexis too. Then he turned around and went back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took me so long to write; it was in my head, and I had a hard time getting it on paper.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's time for Alexis's point of view. 
> 
> As always, I don't own Castle - I just wish I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry this took me so long. I do plan to finish this story, but I just don't know how long it will be. 
> 
> I hope those of you who are reading it will like this chapter.

A few months later found Alexis feeling almost normal. She had moved back to her own place and was back to doing her job completely – Kevin was no longer shielding her from any type of job. She knew she was lucky –she had an amazing support group behind her. 

First of all, she had her family. Her grandmother who simply invited her to lunch and was just there for her, and who would give her a hug and say “Hang in there, kiddo!” Her partner, Kevin, who just would grin at her when it was another boring skip trace or a missing pet case and it was her ‘turn’. He was the guy who would say, “Come on and have dinner with us tonight, Alexis. Nicky misses his Aunt Alexis. And Sarah wants you to braid her hair.” And she’d go to the Ryans and have a great dinner and laugh with Kevin and Jenny. And Lanie, who would call her up and ask her to come shopping because she needed Alexis’ advice on the right maternity outfit. Even her step-grandfather, Jim Beckett had been there for her. She had spent a recent Saturday at the Beckett cabin, and he took her fishing. He didn’t say much, but the quiet time with him was just what she needed. 

Her dad and Kate were her main support. Her dad because he was her dad – he loved her and never failed to let her know he loved her. He worried about her, but he loved her completely. He wasn’t thrilled when she told him she was moving back to her apartment, but he kissed her and helped her pack up her stuff. And she could never thank Kate enough for her support. She knew Kate had been where she was – suffering from PTSD – so Kate knew what or what not to say in every situation. She honestly didn’t think she’d be okay if it wasn’t for Kate. And her little sister was the joy of her life. Lily would just love on her whenever she saw her and that love was a soothing balm for her soul. 

And there was professional support as well. Dr. Burke had found a spot for her when she first called, and had proved to be the just the help she needed. She didn’t know if it was the calm, deep voice, or the no judgement head nods or the way he’d hand her a tissue (or many tissues) when she needed it, but her sessions with him were working. She found out that Javi and Kate hadn’t lied to her – therapy was hard work – but Dr. Burke was making a difference for her. 

Then there was Javier. He had meant what he said about calling him anytime, as she discovered recently. In the beginning, she called him at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, or maybe 7 in the evening. They’d talk, she’d tell him about her baby brother or tease him about the Yankees, and he’d tell her a funny story about something that happened at work or tease her about the Mets. After talking to him, she’d feel better. But then she had a bad dream – no, a nightmare. In this nightmare, Jack killed Javi instead of himself. Alexis woke up screaming and with tears running down her face. She didn’t think, she just grabbed her phone and called him. 

It wasn’t until he picked it up and sleepily said, “Alexis?” that she realized it was 2 in the morning. She’d tried to hang up, but he wouldn’t let her. And when he managed to get it out of her, he told her he’d be right over. She tried again to stop him, but he wouldn’t be deterred. So she had buzzed the night doorman and told him to let Javi up. When he arrived, he had some rocky road ice cream and he insisted on making ice cream sundaes. As she watched him pile on the toppings, she realized her school girl crush on him had turned into something more. 

She remembered when she first met Kevin and Javi, when her dad first starting shadowing Kate. They all were larger than life to her – grown- ups who did an important job but who treated her with respect when she was trying to help them solve a murder of a rock singer. She remembered how Javi spelled out “bitch” to protect her, and how Kevin and her dad teased him. She always thought Kevin was cute, but it was Javier who she had a crush on. He was just so good looking, and so sweet. And of course, there was the bad boy vibe he gave off – even as a cop. What good girl could resist a bad boy? She got over the crush and moved on to boyfriends, but she really hadn’t had a serious relationship in a while. Oh, she dated now and then, but things just didn’t last for her. 

But watching Javi make sure that he put a boatload of whipped cream on her ice cream made her think about him in a new way. Yeah, he was a bit older, but that appealed to her. She needed someone she could lean on, and he hadn’t let her down yet. He made her laugh when she didn’t think she’d ever laugh again. She remembered how he was the one to make sure that she and Gram were taken care of when her dad and Kate were shot. And then she remembered his strength when she was involved in the hostage situation – how he had just held her as she cried and how he told her how proud of her he was. How he had stayed in that conference room as she was questioned and how that support meant everything to her. She remembered all the times he helped her dad, and how he helped Kate too. 

No, this wasn’t a schoolgirl crush anymore. She was falling for him in a big way. But the question was, what did he think about her? Did he think she was still a 15 year old high school girl? Or did he think she was the daughter of one of his best friends? Or did he think she was a grown woman who was interested in finding out if they could have a relationship? She had to figure this out. 

But at that moment, she had finished her ice cream and noticed that he had finished his. He made a move to leave but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Do you think you could stay a little? I could make up the couch. I know it’s silly, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re still here,” and she was relieved when he said yes. She went to get the extra sheets and pillows and made up the couch for him. She stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek and quietly thank him. And when she got back to her room, she slipped under the covers and figured she’d think some more about how to figure him out, but she fell right back to sleep.

When she woke up, she turned and looked at the clock, and was shocked to see it was now 9 AM! She quickly texted Kevin to let him know she was going to be coming in later, and went to the kitchen to start the coffee. But when she got there, she found a pot already made and a note from Javier. “Had to leave, hope you were able to get some sleep. Talk to you soon, Red.” She knew it was silly, but she took the note and slipped it in a drawer. 

She got to the office about 10. Kevin didn’t give her grief, so he must have figured out she’d had a rough night. They had no outstanding cases, so they were both doing some paperwork and they talked as they did it. She knew he and Javi had been friends for years, so she wondered if she could get the information she wanted out of Kevin. She did manage to get something from him – Javi’s favorite food was his mom’s mofongo. He even had the recipe because Jenny had asked Mrs. Esposito for it once, and he volunteered to get it for her when she mentioned she wanted to try it. But she couldn’t work up the courage to ask anything more about Javi – she was afraid he’d figure stuff out. He was a detective, after all.

After a few nights of tossing and turning and trying to think about what to do next, she hit upon the perfect answer: she’d make dinner for him. Maybe if he saw her doing grown up things, he’d realize she was a grown up. She’d make the mofongo, and that might help too. Decision made, she turned over and went to sleep. 

She had the recipe in hand and made it for herself once or twice and felt she could knock his socks off. Now she just had to get her courage up and invite him. She had her phone in her hand and was just going to scroll through her contacts when it buzzed in her hand, and was shocked to see it was him. She quickly answered, “Javier! I was just going to call you!” and she heard him laugh.

“I guess you have ESP. How are you, Red?” 

She’d always disliked that nickname, until now. On his lips, it sounded sweet. “I’m good! Doing better every day. Hey, are you free Friday night?” 

“Friday night – yeah, I am. Why?”

“I’d like to make you dinner, to thank you for everything!” she announced. She hoped she didn’t sound like a kid. 

“You don’t have to do that, but I will never turn down a home cooked meal, so I’d love to come!”

“Great!” Her body relaxed as they discussed times. When they ended the call, she danced a little happy dance around her living room. 

When the big night arrived, she could not believe how nervous she was. She felt like she was fifteen and waiting for Owen to take her to the dance. And that made her think about her father – what would his reaction be to this? And then she reminded herself that “this” was nothing right now. She might want it to be more, but he probably didn’t feel the same way. But before she could freak herself out anymore, there was a knock on her door, and she went to answer it. And there he was, the object of her thoughts. And damn, he looked good. Crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and jeans that showed off his powerful legs. He had a bottle of wine in one hand, and flowers in the other. And then he spoke, knocking her out of her trance.

“Gonna let me in, Red?” he said with a grin, and she grinned at him. She stepped aside and he walked past her. She shut the door and turned to him. He handed her the wine and the flowers, and got close so he could kiss her cheek. He smelled good too. “You look great, and it smells great in here. Did you make mofongo?” 

“Yeah, and it’s your mom’s recipe. Jenny gave it to me,” she said with a smile. She walked over to the sink and reached up for a vase. She quickly had the flowers arranged and put them on the table. “Would you like a glass of wine or some beer? Dinner should be ready shortly,” she said as she turned around to look at him. He had a look of shock on his face, and she wondered what put it there, but it was quickly erased. 

“I’d love a beer!” he told her and she got a glass out of the freezer and the beer out of the fridge. He nodded in appreciation as she handed him the beer. 

Her nerves disappeared as their dinner went on. He loved everything, especially the mofongo. She admitted that she had asked Kevin what he liked to eat, and he grinned at her. They shared stories of their work, teased each other about their favorite teams, and soon, the meal was finished. He helped her clear the table, even after she told him he didn’t have to. “My mother would have my head if she found out I didn’t help clear and do the dishes,” he told her with a grin. So they stood side by side as he helped her load the dishwasher and wash out the pots and pans. 

Her heart lurched with the domesticity of the scene. This was what she wanted – to have him stand next to her, doing all the little things together. She dried the last pot, and went to put it away. She stretched to reach the shelf and he noticed. He got behind her and took it out of her hands and put it where it belonged. She turned, still in his arms and they looked each other in the eye. She noticed his flick down to her lips, and she watched as he tilted his head to fit his lips on hers. 

The kiss started out gently, but quickly heated up. She put her arms around his neck as he moved his head to better fit their lips together. His arms went to her hips as her hands went to his hair. She stepped closer to him and his arms tightened around her. She could feel his body’s reaction to their kiss and then she felt her body’s reaction to it too. Soon, she needed to breathe so she pulled her lips off his and then she opened her eyes to look into his.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexis and Javier talk. 
> 
> As always, I don't own Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since a few people have asked for more, here we go. This isn't long, but I just wanted to get this going again. 
> 
> So in this chapter, we pick up when we left off. And there's a good amount of talking here.

It was quiet as they looked at each other. Javi broke the silence. “Alexis, I am so sorry!” he said as he moved away from her.

But Alexis wouldn’t let him go anywhere. “Why are you sorry?” she asked. “Because I’m not!”

“Alexis, this is wrong.” Again, he tried to move away, but she only strengthened her grip on his lower arms. 

“Why is it wrong? Are you married? Are you seeing someone else?”

“Damn, you know I’m not either of those things. But it’s still wrong. How old are you, Alexis?”

“That doesn’t matter – “she started to say, but he interrupted her. 

“Of course it matters! I’m 43 years old Alexis, 43! What are you, 22?” Alexis let go of him, and Javi turned away. He couldn’t watch as she realized this wouldn’t work. But instead, he missed the determined look on her face.

“No, I’m 23. But so what? My dad is ten years older than Kate, and it doesn’t matter to them,” she argued. 

But that just made him think about other reasons this wouldn’t work. “I know you’re smart enough to do the math, Alexis. I’m 20 years older! And your Dad is one of my good friends. But that won’t matter when he kills me for dating his little girl,” Javi continued. 

“You know what, Javi? Yeah, you’re 20 years older. But I don’t care! And I sure don’t care what my father thinks. There is nothing wrong with this relationship.” Alexis almost stalked over to where he was standing and got close to him, going up on tip toes to be face to face with him. “Javi, I’m old enough to know when there’s something happening between two people. And I want to find out what this is. Don’t you?” She let her lips touch his lightly, but all of a sudden, that wasn’t enough for him. He put his hands on her hips and almost smashed their bodies together. He kissed her and deepened the kiss when she moaned and put her hands in his hair. He walked them over to the couch until her knees gave way.

She landed on her butt and he guided her to her back, never breaking the connection. Now he was the one moaning as she moved her hands down his back and onto his ass. She gave it a squeeze through the tight denim and she giggled as he released her lips. “Damn Alexis, you are really good at this!” he told her as he lowered his lips to her throat. He sucked at her pulse point, but not hard enough to leave a bruise. “We shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t help it,” he said as he kissed her and sat up. 

She sat up next to him and said, “Look, Javi, we can’t change the fact that you’re older than me. But we can make this work, I know we can,” Alexis said quietly. “I want to try.”

“Red, I want to try too. But I’m not just worried about the age difference or what your father will say. I’m worried that I’m wrong for you. You still see the world as a good place. And I’ve seen a whole lot of bad things, Alexis. Not just my father leaving me and my mom and sisters behind, but I saw a lot of terrible things in my years in the Army. And let’s not forget my years in the NYPD. I’ve seen what horrible things people can do to each other. And I don’t want to bring you down. I just don’t!”

While Esposito was talking, he didn’t even realize Alexis had taken his hand and was fitting her fingers between his. “I wish I could take all of that away, but again, I can’t. But do you know what I see when I look at you? I see a man that brings justice to others. You and Kate and Kevin were amazing together. I couldn’t believe that the three of you listened to me and let me help solve Hailey Blue’s murder. And there were so many times you were there for my dad and Kate.” She was holding tightly to his hand as she talked. “We’ve all got baggage that we bring to relationships. My mother never loved me enough to hang away and be there for me. I’m not a little girl anymore, Javi. Hell, I was freaking kidnapped! “ Alexis knew she couldn’t tell him the whole story behind her kidnapping, but if he knew….

“I know, Alexis. But doesn’t how different we are scare you? Because it scares the heck out of me!” he responded. He couldn’t look at her beautiful face as they talked. But he did look at their hands clasped together. He could feel how wonderful that simple gesture felt. 

“Yes, it scares me.” Javi looked at her face in shock. He didn’t expect that response. “But you know what? It’s always been my thing to do things that scare me. And I think this is worth it. I want to get to know you better, Javi.” She smiled at him, and was thrilled when he smiled back. 

“Okay, Red. Are you free tomorrow night?” he asked her with a grin. She grinned and nodded her head, “yes”. “Great! Would you like to go to dinner and a movie? I’d even go to a chick flick if you want to,” he said.

“I’d love to go. But I really want to see the new Vin Diesel movie, is that okay with you?” Now it was his turn to nod and Alexis kissed his cheek. But he wanted more, so he took her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. This time, they shared a long, slow kiss. And this time, they smiled as they separated their lips. 

Esposito stood up, pulled her off the couch, and said, “I’d better go before it gets too late. Thank you for a great dinner and a nice evening. And I’ll text you with times, and then I’ll see you tomorrow!” He let her walk in front of him and she lead him to her door. They kissed again, and he left her with another “Tomorrow!”. She grinned and watched him walk down the hall to the elevator, whistling all the way. She shut the door, and leaned against it, wrapping her arms around herself. I’m going on a date with Javier Esposito tomorrow, she thought. He kissed me and we’re going on a date tomorrow. Then she danced on her way to her bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do plan to write the date, but I wanted to get this posted so you would know I haven't given up on this.
> 
> 1/25/17: I decided to edit this to make the story a little more to canon, so I changed "James" to "Lily".


End file.
